Help support vulnerable people this winter
Get involved in our Autumn Harvest running from 23rd September to 21st December.
Host a collection, donate, volunteer or help us spread the word!
What is Harvest?
Harvest has always been a celebration of food and life. We launch our annual Harvest appeal to bring people and communities together to support those facing extreme hardship, hunger, or homelessness during winter.
Last year, communities created 82 collections across Aberdeen City and Shire, creating over 8,000 meals for people in need.
“Never in my life have I been in receipt of such thought. I cried. It's the first time I felt someone thinking of us. Thank you so much.”
What Harvest involves
A Harvest ensures people don’t have to struggle in hunger and cold, choosing between heating their homes and feeding their children.
For us, harvest is about tinned food, hearty soups and jars of sauce. With your help during Harvest, we can warm cold hands, settle rumbling stomachs and be there so that no one struggles alone.
Find out more about the origin of our annual Harvest appeal in our blog.
How can I help?
You can help people in hunger in a number of different ways:
“Benefits don’t go very far, without Aberdeen Cyrenians I wouldn’t have had the basics that I needed but couldn’t afford. I’m so grateful for what they’ve done. I felt safe and comfortable knowing they were there – it’s been lifesaving! Thank you!”
Get Started Today
How do I set up a collection point?
You can download our Collection Point Pack to get started. All you need is a couple of strong boxes and our posters from the pack. Pop it somewhere people will notice and can access, and fill out the form below to let us know. We’ll keep you updated about collections and drop off options.
You can encourage donations by sending out an email to staff to let them know what’s happening, emailing your customers, parents or congregations, and sharing your collection point on social media using #harvestagainsthunger and #weareac. Templates are also included in the pack to help make it as easy as possible.
How do I volunteer?
During Harvest we have a lot of extra work to do: picking up collections, accepting donations, and organising donations to make sure it gets out to those that need support. If you want to get involved we’d love to hear from you: Sign up on our volunteering portal here
To arrange a team volunteering session for your company or group, you can find and book the date here. We can take a maximum of 6 people per half day.
What donations are needed?
Whilst food is our top priority, other essentials such as hygiene items, and blankets are also needed by people throughout the year, and especially during the colder months.
Please be sensible about the size of donation you give to a collection point. Bulky items would be best donated directly to our own donation point on Union Glen.
How can I share information about the campaign?
You can follow our social media pages, and like and share our posts to help others to hear about our campaign.
You can also share our campaign email to spread information about the campaign and ask your organisation to participate.
We’ve finished our collection, now what do we need to do?
Book your delivery
To donate your harvest collection, please book a timeslot to drop it off at our warehouse:
Unit 1, Union Glen, Aberdeen, AB11 6ER
*If you have a large number of items and need assistance, please get in touch at warehouse@weareac.org as we may be able to arrange to collect it from you.
Prepare your collection
Pack up your collection into bags and boxes. Once your collection has closed, complete the Donations Record Form which you can print from the Harvest Resource Pack and include it with your collection, or you can complete the form online.
FAQs
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No. Anyone can host a collection point, even if it’s for a group of friends or neighbours. You can also just make up your own Harvest package and drop it off.
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If you don’t have space for physical items, you can create a virtual harvest using our Amazon wishlist.
Just share the link in our download pack and encourage donations from there. That way all donations come straight to us.
Alternatively, you can collect financial donations and either donate that to us, or create an online supermarket order that delivers straight to us. More details about how to do this are in the Collection Point Download resource pack.
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Yes we can. Just send an email to fundraising@weareac.org with your address details and we’ll post it to you.
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Our Collection Point Download resource pack contains lots of useful resources to send emails, letters, social media and intranet information to encourage donations. Giving people enough notice, and having a deadline both help to get donations in. You can even try incentives by creating competition between departments or classes etc. Or you could have a prize draw for everyone that contributes.
But it is also important to remember that not everyone may be able to contribute so please don’t pressure people into it.
